Acadiana's City of the Year: Lake Charles

Explosive Growth Didn't Happen by Accident

Laura Claverie

(page 4 of 4)

In late 2016, the National Hurricane Museum & Science Center, located on the city’s lakefront, will open and be dedicated to understanding hurricanes and wetlands, investigating their scientific and ecological impact. The $65 million project, a sweeping complex inspired by the Sydney Opera House, is expected to attract 220,000 visitors annually. It also embodies the spirit of Southwest Louisiana, an area that has been ravaged by hurricanes but continues to thrive despite Mother Nature’s wrath.

“In the next few years, Lake Charles will have several big industries locating here, with high-paying jobs,” says Jill Kidder, the museum’s project coordinator. “This museum is part of an overall community development plan aimed to keep the best and brightest here. We’re providing opportunities for our residents to stay in Lake Charles and raise their families in a city that cares about education, culture and quality of life.”

Businessman Richard agrees: “There’s no place on earth that is smarter than we are right now. I tell my Lake Charles friends to shoot for the moon because even if we miss it, we’ll hit a star. It’s all here: the talent, energy, work force, and vision. We just have to reach for the moon and go for it.”

As the Louisiana Carnival’s biggest parade, which starts in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood and heads through the Central Business District toward the Superdome, the magic happens on the floats, in the streets and beyond.

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